Cases of suspected carbon monoxide poisoning in children are up by 500 per cent across Cambridgeshire, new figures suggest.

The numbers of under 18s across the UK attending A&E who are suspected to have ingested the invisible gas has skyrocketed since 2015, with more than 500 cases reported in the last year alone according to Project SHOUT.

The campaign group raises awareness of the dangers of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning, and revealed cases across all groups in Cambridgeshire have increased by 76 per cent.

Rob Lyon, campaign director for Project SHOUT, said: “These numbers are very concerning and highlight the fact that we need to do more to tackle the dangers of carbon monoxide and raise awareness of the symptoms.”

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Known as the silent killer, the deadly gas is invisible and odourless, and children are particularly susceptible to it due to their less developed nervous system, and higher frequency of breaths leading to an increased consumption of oxygen.

And esearch from energy company npower discovered that only four per cent of parents can identify symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Common symptoms include dizziness, headaches, nausea and generally feeling unwell, leading many parents to mistake the signs for something else, particularly colds and flu.

Carbon monoxide is produced when fuel doesn’t burn properly, usually from badly fitted or poorly maintained appliances. Common sources of carbon monoxide are gas and oil boilers, gas hobs and fires, log burners, open fires and barbecues.

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Approximately 50 people needlessly die each year from carbon monoxide poisoning and thousands more are treated in hospital.

Project SHOUT recommended that people get an alarm, as it’s the only way to detect the poisonous gas.

The campaign group also urged homeowners to make sure their gas appliances were initially installed and serviced regularly by a qualified GAS SAFE registered engineer.

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